The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-12-10
! TERRIBLE STRUGGLE.
A Five Minutes Experience on the
Midnight Mail.

II happened one afternoon last year,
during the month of November. that l
received a telegram calling for my
presence in London early the next
morning on an important business
matter. 10 such q SUMMONS there
was but one answer possible. so, with
just a regretful thought for a card
party l should have to forego, l wired
back this reply:
Mr.. ]. DEVON, Anderson's Hotel. London
Ishall leave Burtown by twelve tonight, and
will call on you tomorrow at Sis. -KNIGHrLY
Having dispatched my message. l
finished off the days work with all
speed, and then returned TO my lodg-
ings to make preparations for my
Journey. These. as the masculine
reader needs not to be told, consisted
principally Of examining a soft cap
and . spirit-flask, together with q few
other necessaries, in a carpet bag;
after which followed the discussion Of
substantial meal, and tho delivery
of an exhortation to my landlady to
feed my fox-terrier Grip at his usual
hours.
The remainder of the evening was
spent in skimming yer the mornings
paper, wherein l found little to inter-
est me. In disgust, l flung the thing
on the floor. 1t alightcd at a graceful
angle, on whose apex appeared tho
heading, conspicuous as leaded type
could make it-"Shocking Wife MUIR
der in Burtown-Arrcst Of the Muir
derer." With a mental apology to the
publishers of the Chronicle for the in
Justice l had done them as caterers to
the public craving for horrors. Ipicked
up the paper and proceeded to digest
the '~harrowing details" The gist CT
the news was rs follows: An aban-
,doned rufian, Chippy Watson by name,
had. after the fashion Of his class,
beaten in his wife's skull with a mall
let, in consequence of some domestic
disagreement. Having committed the
deed, he coolly put on his coat and
hat, and was proceeding to depart,
when tho ncighbors and police. at
tracted by the screams of the unfortu-
nate victim, rushed in and secured
him. This was all, or nearly all. the
paragraph contained. except for the
usual information that 1.-THE prisoner
will be brought up before the magis-
trates this morning, and charged with
causing the willful murder of his
wife,"
1t was now past elevcn-time for
me to make my way down to the sta
ton; rather moro than time. in fact,
since that imposing structure was
distant from my lodgings by fully
two miles. Fortunately. my bag was
light. and l shared in its pleasing
characteristic of being unburdcned
by superfluous weight. None the less.
on reaching my destination
there was only n minute left
me wherein to take my
ticket and secure q seat. The
lattcr operation. thanks to the slowness
'M tho booking-clerk in handing me
my change. had to DO accomplished ny
running tho gauntlet Of guards and
pcrters as the train began to move.
No sooner had I ascertained that
my limbs were uninjurcd by the un'
Tc%eremonious fashion in which the rail-
way officials had .'asslsted'' me TO my
seat than I discovered that tho only
o.aer tenant Of the compartment IN
which ! was ensconced was q young
;aoy, and one. moreover, Of no small
oeauty. Now l am q shy man as far
y tho tair sex Is concerned. Among
nen. ! have se~lEpossession enough and
z spAfe, but In tho prsscnoe Of ladies'
saat sstft possession vanishes with most
WHMXuXnL A--n---hA ek-A n. A. sHunansNN0